


From Witch to Siren

by MWolfe13



Series: MMFBingo2019 [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Asgardian - Freeform, F/M, Killing Curse, MMFBingo2019, Mind Control, Minor Character Death, Siren, Square G3, Superpower/Magic Swap, Who knows what part two will bring, Will change that if it changes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-09
Updated: 2020-01-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:35:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22184188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MWolfe13/pseuds/MWolfe13
Summary: The unknown victim of a power-swapping potion, Hermione must find out what is going on with her magic before she does irrevocable damage.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Thor (Marvel)
Series: MMFBingo2019 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1462696
Comments: 1
Kudos: 24
Collections: Marvelously Magical Bingo 2019





	From Witch to Siren

**Author's Note:**

> Written for MMFBingo2019!
> 
> Square G3: Superpower/Magic Swap

“Hey Granger! I brought you a drink.”

Hermione turned at the call of her name, brow raising as George Weasley brought her a throwaway cup with steam rising from the top. “What is it?”

“Tea.” George offered it to her. “I knew you’d be heading out into the cold soon.”

That was nice of him. Hermione brought the cup to her mouth but paused before she took a sip. She narrowed her eyes, looking at him suspiciously. “This wouldn’t have some prank you’ve decided to test on me, would it?”

George threw up his hands in surrender. “No pranks, I promise. Geez, one time.”

Hermione rolled her eyes, taking a tentative sip before giving him a grin. “It was more than once, but thanks George. I better head back.”

“Going to see your superhero friends?”

She nodded, thinking the question odd when he knew her schedule for the rest of the day. Hadn’t that been why he brought her the tea? “I’ll see you later. Give your parents my love.”

“See you Sunday.”

Hermione braced for the bitter winds before leaving the thriving shop in Diagon Alley. Despite the cold, Witches and Wizards swarmed the stores. Of course, with warming charms, they didn’t have to worry about freezing. She contemplated using one herself, but she was flooing back to New York momentarily so there was no point except to gain a few moments of comfort.

She was making her way to the public floos, hoping the single international one was open, when she bumped into someone. Hermione automatically reached out to steady herself, gripping the soft arm. Static electricity buzzed between them, a reaction of magic to magic. “Oh! I apologize. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.”

“No worries,” a soft feminine voice replied. The woman wore a cloak, not unusual in this crowd. She pulled her arm from Hermione’s hand and walked away without another word.

Hermione looked back, but the woman was lost in the crowd. Shrugging, she resumed her walk to the international floo.   


* * *

Hermione ran through the field, Clint by her side. They had been sent into the wilds of Bulgaria, chasing down a lead into a HYDRA facility. What they  _ hadn’t _ known was that this was the HYDRA installation they were looking for, or that it was extremely well guarded. They’d broken in just fine, Hermione hadn’t even needed to pull out her wand. But the plan went to shit as soon as Clint tripped a hidden sensor they’d missed entirely, a mistake Natasha would scold them for later.

Clint suddenly stopped, turning his body to face the operatives gaining on them. He planted his feet, reaching for an arrow from his quiver and lifting his bow. “We’ll never outrun them at this rate. Put a shield around us. I’ll pick them off until Nat gets here with the evac team.”

Hermione nodded, pulling her wand from its holster. Clint started firing in rapid succession. She thought of the strongest shield spell she could conjure, imagined it forming an impenetrable bubble around them. It would need to hold up against the hail of bullets about to come their way. “Protego Maxima.”

Her wand remained dormant in her hand.

“Granger,” Clint warned when a bullet landed between them. 

Hermione frowned, forcefully tracing the wand movement for the spell. “Protego Maxima!”

“Hermione!” Clint dropped his bow, jumping between her and the bullets that came her way. His shocked eyes locked with hers as they pierced his body, his knees giving out within seconds.

“Clint!” She screeched, wrapping her arms around him and kneeling. She could hear footsteps pounding towards them, angry voices growing louder. Clint was bleeding from his wounds, trying to talk but failing to get any words out. He stared at her, eyes growing unfocused. She thought about what to do. He was beyond basic first aid, but her magic hadn’t worked. Where was Natasha? He was fading too fast.

HYDRA soldiers came into her view; guns pointed in their direction. They were going to shoot again. Without thinking, Hermione lifted her hand in a pleading gesture. “Stop!”

One by one, like a ripple effect, the men straightened from their combative stances, gun hands falling to the side. They stared at her, as if waiting for her next words. 

Hermione was confused, but Clint finally let out a pained groan, diverting her attention. Her comm lit up in her ear, letting her know the evac team was near. She smiled shakily at him, brushing the hair from his face in reassurance. “Do you hear that, Clint? Nat’s almost here. We’re going to get you to the Healers. You’re going to be just fine.” She hoped it wasn’t a lie. 

The Quinjet materialized in the sky, landing close to them. The aircraft opened, Thor flying out with his hammer at the ready, a squad of SHIELD agents following after him. Steve descended the platform, dropping his shield when he saw them and running until he was kneeling as well. “What happened?”

“I’ll explain in the jet,” she snapped out. “Clint needs medical attention now, Steve!”

Steve nodded sharply, hefting their fellow Avenger over his shoulder and jogging to the jet. Hermione stayed on the ground, looking at her blood-soaked clothing and arms. There was a lot of it. She struggled to remember how much a body could lose before there was no hope of saving them. Were they too late?

“Lady Hermione, we must go.” Thor reached down, grabbing her arms and pulling her up. His face was troubled, but he led her to the transport without delay.

A bigger ship was landing as they crossed onto the jet. Thor gave a tense Natasha the go-ahead signal as soon as he shut the door. She lifted them into the air, speaking quietly into a headset. Clint was resting on a stretcher, Steve doing his best to stop the bleeding. The archer already had an oxygen mask over his face, a control panel over him showing different numbers.

Hermione let Thor sit her down, her eyes on her red hands. “My magic didn’t work,” she said quietly.

“What was that?” Steve asked incredulously.

Her hands clenched into fists. “We needed to evacuate, but there were too many. Clint wanted to make a stand. It’s something we’ve done plenty of times before in impossible situations. I’ve learned to make my shield’s bulletproof for the most part…”

“Except this time,” Thor prompted.

“No…” She drew her wand, the wood lying cold and useless in her hand. How had she not realized it felt different? Since the vinewood had first chosen her at age eleven, she’d never not known a feeling of comforting warmth when she held it. It didn’t feel that way now. “My magic didn’t work. I cast the spell, and nothing happened. Clint jumped in front of me when they started shooting.”

“Is that normal?” Natasha asked. Her voice was tight, emotions being kept in check by forced control.

Hermione shook her head. “No, something’s wrong.”

Thor placed a finger under her chin, tilting her head up to face him. “Why did they stop shooting? We expected a fight, but they were in a daze and staring your way.”

Hermione shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. I… I panicked when they were coming.” She gave him a self-deprecating grin. “I’m not used to my magic being gone. I wanted them to stop, not to shoot again, and I told them so. They did as I said, simply watching until you got there.”

“Backup power?” Steve wondered.

“Not one my people usually have.” She glanced up to the ceiling, thinking. “There’s a spell for that, but it's unforgivable and I can’t recall consciously casting it at the time. And the target is normally single.” She closed her eyes, the adrenaline leaving with their safety assured. She heard Thor move somewhere else, his voice talking quietly. Hermione made half an attempt to listen to what he was saying, but she was tired on multiple fronts. Their mission had started off so promising before ending in disaster. 

How long had her magic been gone? Growing up among Muggles, she was used to doing normal things without magic. She didn’t use magic for everything, but the choice was  _ always _ there. But now, when she sought the familiar hum in her chest, she came up empty. 

It was enough to bring tears to her eyes.

* * *

Clint would be alright. They’d rushed him to surgery the minute they landed. Hermione had waited for hours, refusing the order to get cleaned up and looked at. He’d taken bullets for her instead of jumping for cover. If he’d died…

She’d finally relented when Natasha informed her he was out of the woods and recovering. Steve had called a mission debrief, calling in Stark and Bruce to asses the situation. She wanted to chuckle at that. She was a situation now. 

Hermione walked into the room, clean clothes on and refreshed, to find the team minus Clint watching a screen. She knew they were going over the video captured from their cameras, the miniature technology a genius invention of Tony’s he was letting SHIELD use exclusively for now. Not that she would ever tell him it was genius, the compliment would go to his head.

The man swung his head to her, raising his brow. “So no more Glinda? What am I supposed to call you now?”

“Shut up, Tony.” Hermione ordered automatically. She was already thinking up a second retort in her head. He never listened the first time, and right now she couldn't threaten to transfigure him into a toad.

He shut his mouth, staring at her.

Steve turned his head, curiosity on his face when the usual cutting banter between the two didn’t happen. “Tony?”

He didn’t respond. Hermione wrapped her arms around herself. He was looking at her the same way the HYDRA men had; dazed, eyes slightly glazed over. “Tony?” she called him, unsure of what was going on.

He walked over to her, reaching up to twirl a curl around his finger. 

“Interesting,” Bruce commented. “Have you always been able to put people in thrall, Hermione?”

“No.” She stepped away from Tony, but he took the step with her. “That’s an entirely different species.”

“Ancestor,” Bruce insisted. “Maybe you’re barely maturing into a dormant power in your bloodline.”

Tony had shifted even closer to her, bringing the curl up to his nose and taking a deep breath. Hermione resisted the urge to snap at him. “I come from a very non-magical family. Besides, even if my line crossed with a magical creature at some point, my magic wouldn’t disappear. That isn’t how it works. I…” She whirled on Tony when he pressed up against her, his arms sliding around her waist. “For the love of Merlin, keep your hands to yourself!”

His hands dropped his side, letting Hermione step back easily.

She groaned, burying her face in her hands and shaking her head slowly. “Please let this be one big nightmare. I will wake up and my magic will still be here. I can speak without enthralling people. No one will be hurt.”

“We’ll try to sort through this,” Steve said sympathetically. “For now, we think it’s best you be put on leave until we figure out what’s going on. Maybe you can spend time with your family.”

Hermione looked up, eyes full of disbelief. “You’re sending me away.”

“You pose a security risk,” Natasha chimed in. “If word gets out of what you can do, the wrong people will come after you. You don’t have the magic to defend yourself.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, angrily looking away from them. “And what do you suggest I do? If I go home, I’ll be expected to do magic at some point. The word will get out anyway.”

“We’ve thought about that already,” Steve said. “We realize we’re putting you in a bad position with this. Thor will go with you in case something happens.”

Thor had been silent the entire time, eyes glued to the video played on a loop, arms crossed. He turned his head at the sound of his name. He gave Hermione a distracted smile. “Do not worry, Lady Hermione. I will ensure no harm befalls you.”

She wasn’t worried about harm coming to her, but the harm she could do to others.   


* * *

“This is it.”

Hermione set her bag down in the flat she rented with the boys and used when she was on this side of the pond. They’d moved in together once Hermione had graduated from Hogwarts because the idea of living apart had been too hard at the time. Ron had moved out at some point when one of his relationships grew serious, and then back in when it imploded. He was back out again for now, trying the cohabiting life with his girlfriend. Harry hadn’t left until he’d married Ginny, though he sometimes still made use of it when they fought or he’d had a bad day at the Ministry. She’d told them she was coming so they wouldn’t be alarmed when she dismantled the Wards, but she’d warned them she was experiencing some issues with her magic. They would steer clear for now.

She watched Thor glance curiously around the space before walking to the kitchen. Hermione shook her head, but left him to his own devices and headed for her bedroom. It was just as she’d left it the last time she was here; three different texts open on the desk, a bookshelf filled to the brim, her bed neatly made. Magic pictures hung from the walls, the occupants posing cheerfully or solemnly in one case. A Harpies pendant hung across one from the Chudley Cannons, a fitting representation of her ginger friends. 

“These are your quarters?”

Hermione whirled around in surprise. Thor hadn’t made noise, but he was standing at the threshold to her room, her bag in his hand. “Uh, yes, this is my room. You can set my bag down wherever.” He stepped into the room, filling it with his large form. Hermione fiddled with a strand of her hair. “You’ll be staying in one of the boys rooms.”

Thor set her bag by the bed, his eyes running over her books. “I see you have always been a lover of tomes.”

She chuckled lightly, “You could say that. They were my only friends for a good portion of my childhood.” She walked over to a shelf, running her hands along the spines. “I’m actually a little grateful I was sent away. I have access to more magical resources here. I’m hoping my research will point us in the right direction.”

Thor watched her pull a book out, the cover decorated with various creatures. “I thought you said this was not a problem with one of your magical beings.”

Hermione shrugged, eyes searching for other texts that might be useful. “I said I had no creature blood in my family tree. My magic is missing, and if that’s not enough cause for concern, I’ve developed a power known only to Sirens.” She looked down. “I have no idea how to control it, and that’s dangerous. I have no clue where it came from, and that’s even more dangerous. Research has always been my superpower. Right now, it’s the only one I can count on.”

She looked up when Thor laid a hand on her shoulder. “You can count on me to protect you,” he reminded her. “You can count on our team to get to the bottom of this. But if reading these pages will find a solution faster, then that’s what we’ll do.”

Her eyes misted, throat closing, which was fine as she didn’t know what to say. Finally, she gave him a small smile. “You hate reading.”

He squeezed her shoulder. “For you? I’ll make the sacrifice.”

* * *

They did little else for the next twenty-four hours. Hermione went through books on magical creatures and one specifically related to Sirens. While she didn’t think it possible, she did her due diligence and skimmed through a few she had on magical bloodlines. She contemplated flooing Luna and asking for a consult with her husband, the Scamander’s were the leading experts on magical creatures after all.

She only took a break when Thor got hungry, making him food and then giving in to his demand that she sit and eat with him. She’d wanted to remind him she didn’t have time to sit around but refrained on the basis of him at least trying to help her. She knew what she was like when she was trying to find the answers to something, but he hadn’t retreated yet. 

Hermione was closing yet another dead end, they always ended when there was no explanation to her magic loss, when someone knocked at the door. She lifted her head from its hunched state in confusion. No one was supposed to stop by.

Thor was at the door before she could move an inch, Mjolnir in his hand. She reached for her wand before remembering it wouldn’t do her any good. 

“Mione, you in there? It’s George.”

George? Hermione rose from her seat, shaking her head when Thor motioned for her to leave the room. “It’s okay. I know him. He’s family.”

Thor didn’t stop her from approaching the door, but she noticed he didn’t release his grip on Mjolnir. She opened the door enough for her to peak out. It was George, his lanky form shifting nervously on the welcome mat. “What are you doing here? Now isn’t a good time…”

“Ron told the family you were having issues with your magic.”

Hermione wanted to close her eyes in frustration. She was going to throttle the redhead when she saw him. “Okay, well, that doesn’t mean I understand why you’re visiting.”

“I don’t know the particulars,” George told her. “But I have an idea of what’s going on. Can I come in?”

She hesitated, but eventually nodded and opened the door for him to brush past her. She backed up against Thor as he passed, winced. She could feel the Asgardians scowl without looking at him. Hermione wasn’t all that pleased either. The fewer people who knew about her predicament, the better. But George claimed to know what was happening to her, his nervous posture twisted her insides with uneasy feelings.

She didn’t offer him tea and biscuits, walking to the farthest side of the room. Thor stayed where he was, arms crossed over his chest. “What did you do?” Hermione asked George without preamble. He wouldn’t be here otherwise, she knew.

George winced, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “You have to know it wasn’t done to you maliciously. I sincerely wasn’t trying to prank you.”

Hermione shook her head slightly in confusion, but a recent memory came to her mind. She took a step forward in agitation before forcing herself to stop with her intent to smack him. “The tea! I knew it! Of course, there was an ulterior motive to offering it to me. Oh, how could I be so stupid?” She pressed the palms to her eyes in frustration before glaring at him. “Tell me what you did!”

Hermione gasped, bringing her hands to her mouth as soon as she uttered the command.

George’s eyes glazed over, his body relaxing. “I spiked your tea with a potion designed to switch your powers with someone else’s.”

Her hands fell to her side, eyes widening. “What?”

“Why was she targeted?” Thor asked. When George didn’t answer, he turned his attention to Hermione. “Order him to answer my questions.”

Hermione took a step back, shaking her head. “No. Don’t ask me to, please. Look at him. His will isn’t his own.” She took another step back.

Thor crossed over to her, preventing her from escaping to her room as she wished. “I know this goes against what you stand for. Your moral ground is to be commended, but we need these answers. Your books have gotten us nowhere.” He forced her to look at him, grabbing hold of her chin when she would have turned away. “He has brought this on himself. All we’re doing is asking him questions. We will entrust him to someone you trust when we have our answers.”

Hermione’s eyes moved to where George was standing silently. He was entirely too still, gazing at her. It wasn’t right.  _ It wasn’t right _ . Defeated, Hermione slowly nodded her head in acceptance. Thor let her chin go, patting her shoulder with a grim nod. She sighed, making eye contact with her friend. “George, answer Thor’s questions.”

“Why was Hermione targeted for your potion?” Thor asked again.

“She’s an Avenger.”

They exchanged glances. “Why would that matter?”

George shrugged, his only sign of restless movement. “Witches and Wizards are all the same. Sure, you have some variants in power, but for the most part, a potion to switch magic is wasted. Now, the Avengers, there’s a few different magic types in there. Most are human.”

Thor tensed at the revelation, but Hermione was still trying to piece things together. “The only non-human in the Avengers is Thor, George. Was that your goal? Did you figure out a way to make the potion race-specific?” When George said nothing, she snapped out, “Answer my questions too!”

“Yes. That was the goal. Figure out a way to swap the magic of other races without using Dark Magic. I realized I needed to add something of the race in question for it to work, took a hair sample at the last party you invited me to.”

“That’s bloody brilliant.” When Thor sent her a look, she struggled not to hunch her shoulders. “Well, it is! The applications of such a potion…” Her brows furrowed. “George, why were you creating this potion?”

George opened his mouth to answer, but the words wouldn’t leave his mouth. Eventually, he started to cough, his hands grabbing at his throat. Hermione rushed forward, kneeling down with him when he fell to his knees. “No! George, stop trying to answer me! It’s okay.”

Thor crouched down beside them. “What is happening to him?” 

“He’s taken a vow not to reveal certain information.” Hermione stroked his hair, couldn’t seem to make herself stop even though George was starting to press himself closer to her. “Kingsley must have asked this of him. He’s done it in the past.” She bit her lip. “That’s something to worry about later. I need to get him to his family. His mother will take care of him until the thrall wears off.”

“You must not leave this apartment,” Thor told her. “I will take him.”

Hermione released George on a sigh, smiling gently at him when he tried to put his arms around her. “It’s okay, George. You need to go with Thor now.” She watched Thor help him up. “I don’t understand what this has to do with the Siren’s power.”

Thor hesitated. “We will discuss this when I get back.”

Hermione frowned. “Do you know something?”

“When I get back,” he promised.   


* * *

Hermione was nervously pacing their workspace when Thor slipped through the front door. The questions she meant to ask died on her tongue when another figure stepped inside behind him. She was wearing Asgardian armor, her face set into a displeased frown. A shield was attached to her back, a sharp point sticking out from inside it. 

Thor set his hammer by the door, walking over to Hermione and placing a hand at the small of her back. “May I present Lady Sif. She is one of Asgard’s finest warriors. I asked for her to be sent down.”

Lady Sif came over to them, giving Hermione s single nod. “It is a pleasure, Lady Hermione. Thor has told us plenty about you.”

“Just Hermione is fine,” she murmured. She looked up at Thor. “Now will you tell me what’s going on?”

“If what your friend said was true, then he designed a potion that would only swap your magic with an Asgardian.”

She nodded. “Yes, that’s correct. We were both the intended targets, but now I’m thinking the potion was flawed. We obviously didn’t switch magic with each other.”

Lady Sif scowled. “No, the potion worked.”

Hermione struggled for patience. “No or else I’d be shocking everything in sight, and Thor would be causing who knows what mayhem.”

“There are other gifted Asgardians,” Thor told her. “There is one… She has the powers of what your people call Sirens. She was thought to be held in the palace prisons, but once I knew of the possibility, I had them checked. She is gone.”

Lady Sif clenched her jaw. “This is not the first time she has escaped. Lorelei is a master manipulator, able to enthrall most by her voice and almost no one can resist her touch. From what Thor has told me, we can safely say she must have hidden among your people and you encountered her.”

Hermione pursed her lips in thought. “I think I would recall coming up against…” She trailed off, thinking about the woman she’d bumped into on her way home. That static… “I ran into someone after I drank the tea. We experienced a moment I thought was just our magic reacting to each other, but if it was this Asgardian…”

“Then you did indeed swap magic,” Thor finished for her. “Do you remember what she looked like?”

“She wore a cloak. I only knew she was a woman, because she said something. She disappeared into the crowd before I could get a look at her.”

Sif’s lips thinned. “It has to be Lorelei. She could be anywhere by now.”

Hermione tugged on a lock of hair as an idea sprung into her mind. “Well, there’s always the Ministry. My best friends are Auror’s. If she’s used magic, they should be able to at least retrace her steps.”

Sif didn’t look pleased, but Thor held up a hand to stop whatever words she wanted to say. “That will have to do. I called you down here because you are the best at tracking Lorelei.” He raised his brows at her bland look. “You have worked with less.”

“You are right about that.” Sif sighed, “Very well. Take us to your Auror’s. The sooner we take Lorelei prisoner, the better off your Midgardians will be.”   


* * *

“I do not like this.”

Hermione rolled her eyes as they made their way through the crowd of Ministry workers and visitors. Thor had been complaining about her choice to leave the apartment non-stop. “How did you think I was going to contact them? I can’t send a Patronus, and they might not be in their office to receive owls or calls by floo. I should be fine.” She grimaced. “Stop me if it looks like I’m about to issue a command or touch someone.”

They spent a tense five minutes in the lift, Thor keeping her in the corner and ensuring his body was the only one she brushed up against. Sif was next to him, also blocking her in. She literally wouldn’t have been able to much more than issue a greeting to anyone who recognized her. She wasn’t claustrophobic by any means, but their obvious caution made her antsy.

The lift jolted. Hermione was used to the sensation, bracing a hand on the wall in preparation but the other two weren’t. Thor wrapped an arm around her as his body flew into hers. His muscled arm saved her from banging her head though her forehead hit his armor and had her seeing spots for a second.

“My apologies,” Thor grunted in frustration. He lifted his other hand, brushing the hair from her face. “It does not look like it will bruise.”

Hermione blinked and looked at him, wondering if she had a concussion. Why else would she have the sudden thoughts that his arm around her felt lovely, and that she hoped he wouldn’t notice he was idly playing with a curl? Wait a second… “You’re touching me.”

Thor straightened, his arm dropping from around her and a frown coming over his face. “My apologies, Lady Hermione.”

“No, sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.” She shook her head, laying a hand on his armored chest. “You touched me, skin to skin, and there was no effect.”

“Thor is immune to Lorelei’s powers,” Sif spoke up from her place beside them. She was watching the two of them, eyebrows raised. “It didn’t always used to be that way, but after an unfortunate encounter his mother made him a talisman that protects against powers of control.”

The lift opened before she could request to see it. Hermione recognized it as their stop. “This is it.” She took the lead, squirming her way between the two before they could close ranks around her. Auror’s stopped and stared at her as she passed, but Hermione ignored them and headed straight for the office in the back. “Harry!”

Harry Potter looked away from a paper filled board, his scowl dissolving into a panicked expression. His hair was more of a mess than usual, as if he’d repeatedly run his fingers through the locks recently. “Mione, you shouldn’t be here. Merlin, who’s seen you?”

Hermione stopped in her tracks, confused. “What’s going on?”

Harry rushed to the door, barely sparing the two Asgardians a glance as he shut it. “Love, I need you to sit down. Knowing our luck, we maybe have five minutes before Robards bursts in here.”

She wrapped her arms around herself, barely noticing when Thor stepped up behind her. “Harry, what is it?”

“I know it wasn’t you,” Harry told her. He jerked his chin to the board. “There have been several deaths in the last few days, the killing curse. There’s no pattern; Muggle, Wizard, even a few creatures that live more openly.” He closed his eyes. “The magical signature at all the crime scenes is yours.”

Hermione felt a dull ache in her chest. She didn’t ask if he was sure. He would have triple checked the findings. This woman was using her magic to kill. She’d never uttered the killing curse, not even in the height of the war, and this Lorelei had used it on multiple people within a week. 

“Do not touch her.”

She looked away from the board at Thor’s warning tone. Harry was standing inches from her, one arm outstretched. Hermione backed up against Thor, relaxing a little when his arm circled her. He wouldn’t let her put Harry in thrall. “I’m sorry,” she said to Harry’s shocked and slightly hurt look. “I told you and Ron that something was going on with my magic. You can’t touch me.”

“But, Mione-”

They heard the click of the locks. Hermione closed her eyes, realizing they were out of time. Head Auror Robards opened the door, five Auror’s coming in behind him. They had their wands lifted, pointed at her. “Miss Granger, surrender your wand and keep your hands visible.”

Harry stepped in front of her. “Sir-”

“No, Potter.” He summoned her wand when she pulled it out. “The evidence speaks for itself. I agree that something isn’t right, but I wouldn’t be doing my due diligence if I didn’t question her.”

“I won’t be difficult,” she whispered. “There’s more to this, and I promise to tell you everything. Just please don’t touch me.”

Robards frowned, shaking his head in confusion before nodding in agreement. “I’ll take your word that you’ll follow me to interrogation without a fight, but one toe out of line and you’ll be stunned and bound before you can blink.”   


* * *

“Let me get this straight.” Robards kept his eyes on her, but his body was tense. Hermione didn’t blame him. Thor and Sif had made it clear that under no circumstances were they to leave her side. They stood like silent sentries at her back, possibly staring him down. The questioning hadn’t been pleasant. “You switched magic with one of these Asgardians and she’s the one killing these people while you seduce any weak-minded male you come across.”

Hermione scrubbed her hands over her face. “I’m not seducing weak-minded men, Robards, simply enthralling them. Unintentionally,” she added for good measure.

“That makes sense,” he muttered.

She lowered her hands. “You believe me?”

He finally took a seat, clasping his hands on the table. “I’ve known you since you were sixteen and breaking into the Department of Mysteries. You’re not a cold-blooded killer, Miss Granger. Finding your magical signature at these deaths only gave me a moment of shock before I was agreeing with Potter that something wasn’t adding up.” Now he rubbed the back of his neck. “Back in the office, you asked me not to touch you. The feelings that rose up for a minute… It was like my mind was clouding and all I wanted to do was obey you.  _ Only _ you mattered.” He shook his head. “Been married for over twenty years and never strayed once. I locked my mind down tight, and the feeling disappeared.”

Hermione hadn’t even realized she’d done it. “Auror Robards…”

He held up a hand. “Don’t go feeling guilty for something you can’t control. Now that we have all the facts, we can get down to business.” He sighed, “I’m going to tell you something that will make me grateful you can’t wield a wand at the moment.” He thrummed fingers on the table, eyeing her. “There’s a trace on you.”

Hermione’s mouth dropped in shock before she was standing from her seat in outrage. “I beg your pardon. How long has the Ministry been tracking me?”

“It was ordered at the start of the war. We never took it off.”

She felt a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off in agitation. “That’s illegal! What probable cause would our  _ reformed _ government have to track my life?” The hand fell on her shoulder again, this time squeezing her in warning. She turned her glare on Thor. “ _ What _ ?”

“You need to calm yourself,” he told her. 

“No. What I need to do is-”

“He’s right,” Sif spoke quietly from behind her. “Part of Lorelei’s power works off emotions. Over time she could affect the people around her with her moods. I’m not sure how powerful you are, but you’ll render this man useless if the pattern holds.”

Hermione turned away from them, folding her arms and making an effort to think logically. The urge to hex Auror Robards was strong, or maybe she’d go directly to Kingsley, but then she remembered that wasn’t an option and that deflated her completely. She walked to the corner of the room, putting her back to the wall. She wasn’t angry anymore, simply tired of it all, yearning for the familiar hum of her magic and some solitude. She wasn’t likely to get either anytime soon. “The why doesn’t matter now. How can the trace help us? It’s obviously no longer working if you can’t track my magic use.”

Robards was watching her warily. “When the spell was developed, it used two main components; the targets magic, and their physical bodies.”

“So the spell will no longer work since Lady Hermione’s body and magic are no longer in the same place?” Thor confirmed.

He nodded. “It’s not something the creator had to take into account before.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Of course, I don’t think there’s anyone who has ever tried to switch the powers of two species.”

“There was actually one study done almost a hundred years ago when it looked like the Ministry might go to war with the Veela clans,” Hermione corrected. “They were largely unsuccessful, the idea deemed useless and unnecessary after…” She trailed off when she found everyone looking at her, shrugged. “Anyways. Did I catch your meaning correctly then? You think we might be able to modify the trace to track only my magic, and that will lead us to Lorelei?”

Robards leaned back in his chair. “That’s the working theory. I’m not much for spell creation and alteration. I leave that down to the lads in the Department of Mysteries. It’s never been done before now, so the idea might be impossible.”

“Just because it’s never been done doesn’t make it impossible,” she snorted. “We just never had a reason to before now.” She caught Thor’s eye, jerking her chin in the direction of the door and started to walk out. “I’ll be down in the archives. I’ll send for someone when I’ve found something.”   


* * *

“Your government's archives are...interesting.”

Hermione chuckled in amusement as she ran her fingers along titled scrolls. They were deep into the Ministry’s historical system, where dusty scrolls and tarnished items lived. “This is an old section of the Ministry, not generally known to the populace unless you’re a researcher or a Department Head. If we’re going to alter the trace, I need to look at the notes on its creation.” She glanced around, sensing it was just the two of them. “Where’s Lady Sif?”

“Your friend asked her to confer with the team being assembled to go after Lorelei,” he explained. “She will be a great benefit to the team. Lorelei and Sif have fought for centuries.”

Hermione decided the wistfulness she heard in his voice was real. “Do you wish you were doing the same? I know being away from the action frustrates you.”

“It is true that I feel I would be more useful apprehending her than sitting around,” Thor said after a moment of consideration. “The battlefield is where I am most confident. That has been my way for as long as I can remember.” His voice lowered, his body brushing against hers. “But I made a promise not to let harm come to you, and I feel very strongly about keeping that promise. Your continued safety will calm my thirst for battle.”

Hermione’s hands stopped over the pile of parchment labeled with the seal she was looking for. His torso was warm against her back, the gentle rumble of his voice doing things to her that she’d never let herself consider. She could more than take care of herself. Why were his words affecting her? She fought the growing urge to relax into his hold, to see if his arms would come around her if she tipped her head back against his chest. She cleared her throat instead, grabbing her prize and moving away from the temptation. “Do you think there will be a battle?”

“If Lorelei has learned to use your powers? Yes.”

Six frustrating hours later, Hermione was watching the team of Auror’s file in. There’d been much trial and error, especially since she’d had to rely on someone else to test her theories, but the altered trace spell was complete. Maybe. It was hard to call the experiment successful when she was the only one with their magic separated from their body. There had been two more murders since then, Muggles near a farmstead kilometers outside a large city. Sif hadn’t been able to determine what Lorelei’s goal was. They were banking on Hermione’s version of the trace working, or else they would be back to square one.

Harry leaned against the wall in front of her. He would be the Auror leading the team directly under Sif. “I wish you weren’t one of the Auror’s going,” Hermione told him quietly. “She’s throwing killing curses like candy.”

“Good thing I’m a survivor of that particular curse.”

Hermione curled her hands into fists, not finding that joke amusing. “ _ Harry _ .”

He rubbed a hand over his chin, eyeing her hands. “I forgot you can’t touch anyone right now. Maybe I should get some more in, mark this day on my calendar.” He sobered at her dejected look. “I’m actually a good Auror, Mione. I know how to dodge and throw up powerful shields. With that Valkyrie leading the charge, we’ll be bringing in this magic-swapper before you know it.”

Hermione snorted at Harry’s description of Sif. “The Valkyrie are real you know, and Lady Sif is not one of them.” She took a deep breath as the last Auror walked through the door. “Show time.”

She listened to Auror Robards go over the plan. It was a solid one. There was no reason they shouldn’t be victorious. Lady Sif had taken this Asgardian down before, and this time she’d have a team of Auror’s with her to help. In all reality, Lorelei stood no chance.

Why was her stomach twisted up in knots?

When they were ready, Hermione watched as Auror Robards activated her version of the trace. She held her breath, only exhaling when a steady light blinked over a location on the large map in the conference room. It worked. They were tracing her magic.

Harry gave her a brief grin before ordering his team to head towards the apparition point. She stood with Robards and Thor, watching the men file out until they were alone. “What if they-”

“We don’t think like that here, Miss Granger.” Robards cut her off. “They’ll capture the target because that’s what they were trained to do, and then they’ll go home to their families or to the bar.” He looked down at her, sighing internally when she kept her eyes on the door. “Why don’t you get some sleep? I’ll have Potter go to you when they arrive.”

She shook her head. “I won’t be able to sleep.”

“Try anyway. The way I hear it, you’ve been up for over twenty-four hours. I have to catch up on some paperwork. Don’t make me have security escort you out.” Robards left them, shaking his head when he didn’t hear footsteps behind him.

Thor touched her arm. “His is right. You have not slept.”

Hermione shrugged him off. “Do you think I’ll be able to? There's twisting in my gut, Thor, a feeling that something will go wrong.”

He turned her around to face him, noticing the sheen of tears from fear and exhaustion. “Have you not sung the praises of your best friend, the very one that is leading this team after Lorelei? Between him and Sif, everything will go as planned.” He rubbed a thumb over her cheek. “We must both have some respite from the things we cannot control. Come, if you do not sleep, you will at least eat and relax.”

Hermione let Thor lead her out of the room, but she looked back at the blinking dot on the map and the churning in her stomach grew larger.   


* * *

The Auror crawled towards his wand, his legs a bleeding mess and almost useless. All around him, destruction rained. He could hear shouts; some angry, some desperate. He didn’t know what to think now. He was in more pain than he’d ever been in, knew it was too late for most of his team. The team leaders were down, the first line was gone. He only had his training now, and it told him to send a distress signal before he was taken out too. 

They’d put the odds on their side, predicted the woman wouldn’t know how to use the powers inside her. They’d been wrong, so very wrong. 

His body screamed as he dragged himself through rocks, dirk, and twigs. He bit his lip hard enough to bleed to keep from making noise. The shouting had died down, but he was almost there…

A booted foot stopped him in tracks right as his fingertips brushed the familiar piece of wood. He closed his eyes in despair, feeling ashamed as tears tracked down his face. 

The boot moved to his side, flipping him onto his back. He thought about his wife and little girl, about how he’d promised to put in time for a vacation soon. She was starting Hogwarts soon, his daring little spitfire. She had no fear, his daughter, and they despaired over her sorting into Gryffindor when they’d both been Hufflepuff’s. She really was brave, his baby. Thinking of her, he opened his eyes.

And they stayed open after the green light hit his face. 

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Part 2 coming soon.


End file.
